(AP) — Leaders in Omaha and Bellevue are considering a proposal to turn an abandoned railroad line into a light rail system that would run from north Omaha south into Bellevue.
City council members for Omaha and Bellevue recently attended a briefing on the proposal, led by Omaha community development nonprofit Emerging Terrain.
Planners say the proposed 20-mile light rail system would be coupled with a parallel recreational trail and hubs for an enhanced bus service traveling east and west. Planners say the light rail system could bring an estimated 9,000 jobs and 4,500 new homes to one stretch of the corridor.
Emerging Terrain founder Anne Trumble says the plan would require tens of millions of public and private dollars over the next 10 to 15 years.